Luang Prabang, Slowly
Six days in Laos's old royal capital, on the Mekong
Luang Prabang is small enough to cover in a day and rewards five. The old town sits on a peninsula between the Mekong and the Nam Khan, with some thirty temples and French colonial houses within walking distance. This trip keeps most days light: one for the town and its temples, one on the river to the Pak Ou caves and the waterfalls of Kuang Si, and the rest for a cooking class, a market, a spa and long lunches.
This is a starting-point itinerary — we adapt every detail to your travel dates, interests, pace, and group. Speak to our concierge to begin.
Indicative price
from €100 per person per day
For 2 travellers sharing a room, from published entry-level hotel rates and ground costs read on 10 October 2026. How we calculate it
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Marco Setti
East Asia Specialist
Your specialist
“Culture trips in Asia work best when the pace allows you to actually absorb a place. I design them with breathing room built in.”
Speak with MarcoIncluded
- 5 nights' accommodation in one of the hotels named
- Private guided day in the old town
- Private boat and car day to Pak Ou and Kuang Si
- A named Excurze concierge before and during the trip
Each stage has two or three hotels we know well. We propose the one that fits your dates and budget, and swap it if you prefer another.
Luang Prabang5 nights
Luxury
Amantaka
Old town
Aman's hotel inside the UNESCO-listed old town.
Luxury
Rosewood Luang Prabang
Just outside the old town
A Rosewood hotel a short drive from the centre.
Heritage
Satri House
Old town
A boutique heritage hotel in the old town.
Heritage
Maison Souvannaphoum
Old town
A heritage hotel in a former princely residence.
Luang Prabang
Arrive in Luang Prabang
Private transfer from the airport (about 15 minutes)
Sunset from Mount Phousi, in the middle of the old town
Dinner of Lao dishes at a riverside restaurant
Sleep: Luang Prabang (5 nights)
Luang Prabang
The old town
Wat Xieng Thong, the city's most beautiful temple
The Royal Palace Museum
Walk through the craft workshops and the night market
Sleep: Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Dawn alms and a cooking class
The morning alms-giving procession: we watch from a respectful distance, and don't buy rice from street sellers
Market visit and a Lao cooking class
Afternoon free
Sleep: Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Pak Ou caves and Kuang Si
Private boat up the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves, filled with Buddha statues
Kuang Si Falls and its turquoise pools
A visit to the nearby bear rescue centre
Sleep: Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
A free day
Spa, a bicycle ride along the river, or a weaving workshop
Sunset boat on the Mekong
Sleep: Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Departure
Transfer to the airport
Extra day on the Nam Ou
A river trip upstream to villages reachable by boat.
Elephant sanctuary day
A day at an observation-only elephant sanctuary near the town.
Add Vientiane
Two nights in the capital before or after, reached by the high-speed train.
Add Siem Reap
Fly on to Cambodia for the temples of Angkor.
Best time to go
November to February
Cool, dry days. Kuang Si's pools are at their clearest and the river is calm. March and April bring crop burning and haze.
Less suited: March to April (haze and heat) and the peak of the rainy season, from July to September
from €100 per person per day
This is an indication, not a quote. It adds up the lowest published entry-level rates we found for the hotel we priced at each stage, plus the cost of a private guide and car, divides by 2 travellers and 6 days, and rounds up to the next €50. Peak-season rates, larger rooms and the other hotels named above will change it. Your quote will be built on your dates.
| Item | Rate | In euros |
|---|---|---|
Luang Prabang, 5 nights at Satri House (the lowest of the hotels named with a verifiable rate) HotelsCombined, Satri House | 118 USD × 5 | €527 |
Private old-town tour with transport, 8 hours, 1 to 3 people Tripadvisor, full-day private Luang Prabang tour | 237 USD × 1 | €211 |
Private Pak Ou caves and Kuang Si waterfall tour (quoted from, by group size) Viator, private Pak Ou and Kuang Si tour | 195 USD × 1 | €174 |
| Total for 2 travellers | €912 | |
| Per person per day (€912 ÷ 2 ÷ 6), rounded up to €50 | €100 | |
The figure covers
- 5 nights at Satri House, the least expensive of the hotels named; the Aman and Rosewood hotels cost about ten times as much (US$1,050 to US$1,350 a night), which would raise the figure sharply
- A private guided day in the old town and a private boat and car day to Pak Ou and Kuang Si
Not included
- International flights and the airport transfers
- Meals not included in the hotel rate
- Entrance fees, the cooking class, the optional modules and tips
Converted at the European Central Bank reference rates of 9 October 2026. Hotel rates come from third-party booking and guide sites and change with dates and availability; each line links to the page we read.
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